Baritone Adam Richardson is rapidly gaining acclaims as a multitalented baritone for his powerful operatic, concert and theater performances. Mr. Richardson will begin his 2018/2019 season with a debut at Opera in the Heights in their production of Cosi Fan Tutte as Guglielmo, debut with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra as Jake in Porgy and Bess, and various concerts projects.

 

In the 2017/2018 season, Mr. Richardson made his house debut with Opera Philadelphia in Daniel Bernard Roumain's world premiere opera We Shall Not Be Moved directed by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones. This opera was reprised at The Apollo in New York and the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. He made his debut with Amarillo Opera in the title role of the opera Joshua's Boots, and workshopped Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the new Terence Blanchard opera that will premiere in 2019 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. His 2016/2017 began with covering and performing the role of Jake in the international tour of Porgy and Bess at the Alte Oper Frankfurt and the Hamburgische Staatsoper. He made a successful European debut in Amsterdam, in the same role, during the 2014/2015 season. 

 

Highlights from previous seasons include his time at Central City Opera where he was seen as Sciarrone in Tosca and Horace Tabor (Family Performance) in The Ballad of Baby Doe, concerts with the Caramoor Festival in 2015 and a successful international concert debut as a soloist in 2014 with the American Spiritual Ensemble. After garnering major attention at the famous La Folle Journée, his energetic performances premiered in popular European venues such as The American Cathedral in Paris, The Royal Dublin Society, and Wexford Opera House. Achieving matching success domestically, Mr. Richardson debuted in Lyric Opera of Virginia’s La Boheme for the 2013/2014 season. Mr. Richardson also covered the role of Amonsaro while serving as a Studio Artist in Opera Santa Barbara’s Aida in 2013. During the 2012 season, Mr. Richardson performed multiple roles at the Cincinnati Opera. He first premiered in a Porgy and Bess Redux as Jake/Porgy, followed by his role as the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. Other selected highlights include Betto in Gianni Schicchi, Javelinot in Dialogues des Carmélites with The Juilliard Opera. He's an alumnus of well-known summer programs as the Brevard Music Festival; he performed in Susannah, Candide, and La Boheme. In 2010, he attended Opera North where he performed in the Young Artist cast of La Boheme. 

 

No stranger to musical theater, in 2013, he has been hailed by BlueRidgeNow Times as having a “…powerful performance” for his role as Old Deuteronomy, and his “…leading role in the finale is one of the highlights of the show” in Flatrock Playhouse’s 2013 production of Cats. He was also an ensemble member of the 2016 Onstage Critics Awards nominated musical Showboat at Westchester Broadway Theater. 

 

He is well recognized and received several awards including the New Mexico District Winner from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, Finalist in the Giulio Gari Competition, Encouragement Award from the Gerda Lissner Song Competition, Encouragement Award from the Harlem Opera Theatre, Young Talent Award from the Lotte Lenya Competition, second place from the Pittsburgh National Arts and Letters, and a two-time Benjamin Matthews Competition Finalist.

 

A native of Smithfield, Virginia, Mr. Richardson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters degree from The Juilliard School.